Self-locking box.



(Application led Sept. 22, 1900.)

no mmm.)l

NITE STATES ATENT Trios,

SELF-LOCKING BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.. 667,092, dated January29, 1901.

Application led September 22. 1900. Serial No. 30,763. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN A. JEWELL, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Washington, District of Columbia, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Self-Locking Boxes, of which the following isl afull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in self-locking boxes especiallydesigned for use by householders and others for the reception ofarticles of household use-such as jars of milk, packages, and other things--and for the safe keeping of articles deposited in the box until suchtime as it may be convenient to remove them, thereby avoiding theannoyance and inconvenience of going to the door to receive a package orother article from a tradesman, milkman, postman, or other person andrendering it unnecessary for the person leaving the package towait untilthe same is received;

My invention consists in the peculiar construction and combination ofdevices hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical sectional view of aself-locking box embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a horizontalsectional view of thesame.

The box A is preferably of rectangular form and may be of any suitablesize and constructed of any suitable material. It comprises the verticalsides B, the top C, and the bottom D. The front side E is hinged at itsupper portion, as at F, is adapted to open outwardly and swing upwardly,and has onits inner side, near its lower edge, an inwardlyprojectinglocking-bolt G, which is provided with the shoulder g. The rear side ofthe box is preferably open, as at I-I.

A false bottom I is located in the box, is hinged or pivoted, as at K,and is acted upon by a spring L, which normally raises the outer orfront end of the false bottom, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1 of thedrawings, and keeps the same in contact with the stops M, formed at thefront corners of the box. The said false bottom is provided with alocking-catch N, which when the false bottom is depressed to thehorizontal position (indicated by dotted lines in Fig. l of thedrawings) by the weight of a parcel, a jar of milk, or other object, thedoor being closed, engages the shoulder of the locking-bolt and securelylocks the door or front side of the box. When the parcel or other objectis removed from the box through the open side thereof, the springrestores the false bottom to its normal position to disengage the catchN from the shoulder of the locking-bolt on the door or hinged front sideof the box.

Any suitable form of spring may be employed, or the false bottom may bepivoted near its central portion and provided at its inner end with aweight in lieu of a spring.

Other modifications may be made Without departing from the spirit of myinvention, andv I donot desire to limit myself to the preciseconstruction and combination of devices herein shown and described.

In the operation of my invention the box is secured to a door-jamb insuch manner that the door when closed will close the rear or inner openend I-I of the box. When a parcel or other article is placed in the box,the door E of the box will close by its own weight, and the weight ofthe parcel or other article on the false bottom will depress the latter,thereby engaging its catch with the locking-bolt of the door, aspreviously described, thereby securely locking the door of the box andpreventing the article therein from being stolen. When the house-door isopened, the article may be removed from the box through the open inneror rear side thereof as will be readily understood. Thereupon the falsebottom will be immediately raised by the spring, the door E unlocked,and the box will be then ready for the reception of another parcel orarticle.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. A box of the character described, having its front side hinged at itsupper side, forming a door, adapted to open upwardly and swingoutwardly, said door having a projecting locking-bolt on its inner sideprovided with a shoulder; and a pivoted false bottom, normally raised atits front end and provided with a locking-catch, which when the falsebottom is'depressed and the door closed, en-

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gages the shoulder of the locking-bolt and thereby locks the door on itsinner side, substantially as described.

2. A box of the character described, having its front side hinged at itsupper side, forming a door, adapted to open upwardly and swingoutwardly, said door having a projecting locking-bolt on its inner side,provided with a shoulder, a pivored false bottom, a spring normallyraising the outer end thereot', and a locking-catch ou said falsebottom, which when said false bottom is depressed, as by the weight ofan object placed upon it, engages the shoulder of the locking-bolt andthereby locks the door, the end of said box, opposite said door, beingopen, and said box being adapted to be secured to one side of adoor-frame, so that the open end thereof will be closed by the door inthe said frame, substantially as described.

3. A box of the character described, having a hinged door at one end,closed by gravity and provided on its inner side with a lockingeatch,and a spring-pressed pivoted false bottom, provided with alocking-catch, adapted, when said false bottom is depressed, as by theweight of an object thereon, to engage the catch on the door and therebyautomatically lock the latter, substantially as described.

4. A box ot' the character described, comprising a door, holding meanscarried by said door, a depressible plate normally raised adjacentltosaid holding meansand means carried by said plate, cooperating with saidholding means whereby when said plate is depressed and said door closedthe latter will be locked.

5. A box of the character described, comprising a hinged door adapted toswing ontwardly, holding means carried by said door, a pivoted platenormally raised adjacent to said holding meansand means carried by saidplate cooperating With said holding means whereby when said plate isdepressed and said door closed the latter will be locked.

In testimony whereof I have set my hand, this 22d day of September,A. D.1900, in the presence of two attesting witnesses.

JOHN A. JILWVELL.

Witnesses:

E. J. To'r'rEN, CHARLES V. GRUNWELL.

